Representing yourself doesn’t make you an expert in the law. You’re not expected to know everything, and you don’t. But mistakes can be costly. In many places, you can hire a lawyer for everything from legal research to arguing a motion in court. Don’t let your pride keep you from getting the help you need.

Legaltech is growing fastest in areas of consumer rights violations. From getting post-purchase price adjustments on products to getting the security deposit back on your rental, Justice as a Service (JaaS) firms stand between consumers and the big companies who rip them off.

More than a decade ago, the ABA expanded its rules to allow lawyers to offer unbundled legal services, bite-sized tasks like legal research and ghostwritten motions. Gone are the days when the typical lawyer required thousands of dollars in retainer to start working on your case. With competition among lawyers for limited consumer dollars, firms are rushing to reconfigure their practices to serve clients in any way they can. That’s good news for pro se litigants, if we know how to use those services.

The future of legal services cannot be left to lawyers. With all due respect to the profession, it was always designed to serve the upper crust and its corporations, and that mentality is baked into the cake. With the exception of the poorest and most desperate civil and criminal defendants, the rest of us have […]